Landlord confidence plummets amid legislation and soaring EPC upgrade costs

I'm prepared to pay absolutely nothing on my 69 C until it becomes compulsory for every single property in the country to come under the same EPC rules. I know I don't have to spend anything as it's already a C but my point is why stop at landlords ? The difference upgrading will make to net zero is 0% and a couple of pounds cheaper for the tenant. Let's have this EPC ruling across the country and then we might all feel a tad better about it

“The difference upgrading will make to net zero is 0%…”.

You are missing the point.

The U.K. has a finite supply of gas and electricity that it can supply through the gas and electricity grids.

Starmer thinks that he needs to build 1.5 million new homes to accommodate the migrants. These new homes will use a lot of energy, both in construction and in use.

We need to trim energy use in existing homes to free up capacity for the new homes.

The government needs us all to use less energy so that the new homes for migrants can be supplied with energy, without investing in upgrades to the grids.

How much it costs to save a few kWh is irrelevant (to Starmer and co) if it isn’t the Treasury's money that is being used.

Doesn't the fact that those LL with EPC of below C having to spend k's on their property to reduce energy consumption count towards net zero ? Answer = not really although Milliband would disagree .It is making the houses more energy efficient but by a miniscule amount and the cost saving for the tenant will be peanuts in comparison. As I said in another post if Milliband told every home owner in the country to comply with EPC C or better by 2030 I would have more respect for his reasoning but applying his beliefs to a tiny percentage of the country is just plain non-sensical. Just another excuse to pick on the small defenceless LL. Hopefully they'll be out by 2029 and Reform will stop all this nonsense.

Reply to the comment left by PH at 12/12/2024 - 16:19
There will be no net savings for tenants as we will recover the costs from rent, just as we have to do for all of the other imposed costs.

Reply to the comment left by PH at 12/12/2024 - 16:19
Labour has been one big disaster with lie after lie as well as lying to the numpties who voted them into power. There a one term government and hopefully will stay in the wilderness for another 10 years at least, that's after being booted out of office by the Reform party. The tories are now old dinosaurs and like them they will soon be extinct. It's Reform all the way, a change in politics is coming which will be far better for the countries future and landlords as well.

Reply to the comment left by Suicide Jockey at 13/12/2024 - 17:29
Hopefully everything you've said comes true.

Reply to the comment left by PH at 12/12/2024 - 12:25
I have just had an epic done on the house I live in. Fully double glazed bar 2 small windows in a vestibule measuring 4 x 6 inches. House has wall insulation, double glazing, extra loft insulation, thermal lined lined curtains, new boiler, new thermal conservatory roof, insulation behind outside wall rads. Comes in at epc D cos of little windows and non led bulbs. Other issue was house has concrete floors. Need to insulate them. To do that whole house has to be dug up! What a farce. The property I gave in Manchester built 1800s has same epc. Double glazed, old boiler, hollow walls, no loft access and floor boards. Was recommended to put foam under boards but gas, electricity and water run underneath the boards so putting foam in means are then inaccessible in any leak. The foam would have to be dug out and removed a costly exercise. Epc not FIT for purpose

Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 13/12/2024 - 13:15
You can't be sure you can raise rents just like that. If you have an old house and a mortgage, you will always be undercut in rent by someone already mortgaged and at C. And tenants cannot keep paying higher and higher rent. What happens when you price yourself out of your local market? Upgrade the house - more money - which usually follows the law of diminishing returns?

No, the answer is to sell up and either exit the market or outbid other people for properties already at C.

As for houses costing £2000 or £4000 to upgrade, no way! Most solid wall properties are £15-20,000 for external wall insulation, with much more again once they make air source heat pumps, solar panels and storage batteries compulsory. It will come! They will say EPC C, then change the rules again, to keep tightening the screws. It's not that they want to kill off private landlords - they just want them to be the mugs who effectively provide social housing on behalf of the State, using private capital for minimal returns.

air source heat pumps, solar panels and storage batteries compulsory. ...at that point I'll sell up anyway but hopefully these mugs will be out before they have chance to even try making it all compulsory.

Reply to the comment left by Diana Grogan at 13/12/2024 - 19:35
Absolutely ridiculous ! I have cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and a conservatory with at least one leaking window and that's it but it still managed a 69C. It has concrete floor same as yours. These things are a complete joke and should be scrapped but god only knows what they'll bring in to replace it.